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Born in Clinton, South Carolina October 13, 1919, and given the name of Andrew Wilson Wood. He was reared in the Coal Mining Field of Glen White, West Virginia where he received his early training in the public school system thereof, graduating from the Stratton High School in Beckley, W. Va., At the age of 16. Andrew’s father, George W. Wood, a coal miner, died in 1936. He deferred further education at that time to assume responsibility for his mother and six sisters by accepting work in the coal mines at Glen White. As a boy of 10 years, Andrew accepted JESUS CHRIST as his personal Saviour, and was baptized and became a member of the Shady Grove Baptist Church under the pastorate of the late Rev. W. C. Clemons. At the age of 14 he became the Superintendent of the Sunday school and served as Custodian of the church. He sang in the church choir, and later with the West Virginia Jubilee Singers. Andrew became acquainted with a beautiful young woman (Miss Gertrude M. Burton) of Nuriva, West Virginia, and in September of 1939 she became his wonderful wife. GOD blessed this union with three children: Verna, Andrew, Jr., and Jesse. Verna and Andrew, Jr. are deceased. Jesse is the honored Assistant Pastor of the Metropolitan Baptist Church in Washington, DC, Rev. Dr. H. Beecher Hicks, Jr. is the pastor. Andrew became the youngest man (21 years) to serve on the Board of Deacons of his church. Later the family moved to East Gulf, West Virginia where they united with the Tabernacle Baptist Church, where the late Rev. William M. Freeman was the honored pastor. Andrew accepted the CALL of GOD to preach the Gospel in 1945. He was licensed and ordained by the Tabernacle Baptist Church. Andrew was called to the pastorate of Killarney Temple Baptist Church in Killarney, West Virginia in 1947. Other churches pastored by this man of GOD in West Virginia were: Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church of Ameagle; Mt. Zion Baptist Church of Garten, and the First Baptist Church of Mt. Hope, West Virginia. While in West Virginia, Andrew attended Lynchburg Virginia Seminary and College. He earned a Bachelor Degree and a Master’s Degree in Theology, both from Christian Bible College in North Carolina. Later in life he received an Honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree from Virginia University of Lynchburg. This man of GOD served as President of Winding Gulf District Sunday School Convention; Secretary of Coal River District Association; Secretary of New River District Association. He served as Secretary of West Virginia Baptist State Convention Evangelistic Board. He was member of West Virginia Baptist State Convention Executive Board; member of Bloodstone Lodge No. 101 F.A.A.Y. Masons of West Virginia, and organizer of Hiram Abiff Lodge of Fayette County, and served as its first Worshipful Master; Chaplain of Officers’ Council of the Grand Lodge of F.A.A.Y. Masons of West Virginia. He has touched many lives on the local, state, national, and international levels.
Andrew was called to the pastorate of the Bethany Baptist Church, Columbus, Ohio in 1960 as its eighth pastor for the past forty-nine years, and still serving in that capacity. His late wife, Gertrude, affectionately referred to, as Mrs. "A" was a great inspiration in his ministerial and pastoral activities. We continue to HONOR her MEMORY. She was one of the first African American Women to graduate from the United Mine Workers Hospital School of Nursing in Beckley, West Virginia, and has worn that title well, continuing here in Ohio with the Riverside Methodist Hospital for twenty-five years as a surgical nurse, retiring in 1985. Missionary to Africa (Bush Country) to recognize Bethany’s Missions as regular Missionary Baptist Churches, and ordained 8 ministers leading in some of the churches. Bethany now has 200 churches in the "bush" country carrying the name of Bethany, and are under the leadership of the Rev. Josiah Oyoo Otweyo, now known as Arch Biship, and a member of Bethany Baptist Church in Columbus. In honor of Pastor Wood and the late 1st Lady Gertrude Wood, two Schools have been established in the Bush country under the Names of the St. Gertrude Margaret Wood Institute, And the Rev. Dr. Andrew Wilson Wood Academy. This man of GOD and his late wife served for eleven years as Tour Hosts for Educational Opportunities, Inc., organizing and leading tours to the Holy Land, Egypt, Rome, France, Belgium, Brussels, and other places in the Middle East. He has received many plaques, citations, honors from different organizations in the city, state, and country for the efforts GOD has allowed him to be involved in. However, his greatest challenge to his people and the churches he has served is that we should LOVE ONE ANOTHER, and be FAITHFUL in the trust GOD has placed us in until HE calls us to our ETERNAL REST in the HEAVENLY KINGDOM with HIM. To GOD be the GLORY. Amen. |
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